pocketful of sunshine
by opaque-girl
Summary: "I'm a Quidditch player," you say loudly, insulted and she replies,"Nah, you're too pathetic to be considered one," unabashedly and the argument - it never really ends, does it? Dominique/Xalenous


**WRITTEN FOR: Quidditch League, I'm Falling In Love, Different Genre (Friendship), Chocolate Frogs, Song Fic Boot Camp, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Potions, Action, Adjective, Color), Ravishing Romance Competition.**

* * *

_I just wanna be happy_  
_Ohh, yeah, happy, ohh, happy _

_- Happy, Leona Lewis_

She comes and strides on the Slytherin table, unabashedly and sits next to a random person, haughtily and you love how she's completely unaffected by the way people are looking at her, their eyes popped out and jaws dropped by her unexpected sorting.

She isn't bothered at all, as she starts stuffing her mouth and when she finally notices the stares, she just raises her eyebrow and asks, "what?" and everyone just looks away, and you - you just laugh.

"I'm Xalenous," you introduce yourself and she replies, "Dominique," and you say, "I know," and really, that's start of your friendship.

0o0o0o0

They all eat her head, first few days and than some after that, too and you can see how much they annoy her.

"Is your dad really good friends with Harry Potter?"

"Do you really live at The Borrow?"

"Did your grandmother kill Bellatrix Black?"

"No it's all a joke; my dad hates Uncle Harry, I live in a shithole and my grandmother killed my Aunt Ginny instead," she replies sarcastically once and when she sees their horrified expressions and hears the, "really?" she just laughs at how they actually believe her.

You laugh with her.

0o0o0o0

You argue with her non-stop and you're all sarcastic and bitter but that's how your friendship is, and years later, you figure out, that's how you two were always comfortable being.

"Quidditch, Zabini, honestly? Don't you have anything better to do? Such a waste of time it is,"

"Merlin, Weasley don't tell me you didn't like Quidditch?" you turn around to look at her and she just shakes her head.

"Nops, sorry," and you say,"Shit - and I thought you were different from all the other girls in the house,"

She spanks your head with a book and says,"I'm! Most of them love Quidditch players, if not Quidditch itself - I hate them both!"

"I'm a Quidditch player," you say loudly, insulted and she replies,"Nah, you're too pathetic at it to be considered one," unabashedly and the argument - it never really ends, does it?

0o0o0o0

"Is there anything in the world that you like Weasley? You hate Owls, Quidditch, Houselves, Potions," you say, marking them off your fingers for the effect, "And yeah, basically a list of endless things. What do you actually like?" you ask.

"Well," she says after some seconds of pondering, "I like my wand,"

And you just laugh because Dom (Dominique, sorry) is just crazy in her own way.

0o0o0o0

She has this love for antique things - you later discover - and she, she kind of discovers it with you as walk through the portraits of Hogwarts.

"Look at that rug in the painting - " she points out.

"Portrait, you mean," you correct her, smugly and she smacks you with a hand.

"Yeah, yeah, that's what I meant. Look at that rug, all mixed in vivid, stunning colours, patterns - it's so fascinating, isn't it?"

"What's fascinating about a rug, Dominique?" you ask, staring at Sidley Smirk Platter's portrait while running a hand through your luxurious black hair.

"It was made 100 of years ago and it's antique and it has history attached to it, a story - "

0o0o0o0

That's how you two get stuck in the portrait, quite honestly, because Dominique wanted to see that rug up-close-and-personal and Sidley Smirk Platter was enough of a wanker to pull her inside and you, naturally, followed.

That was also your first real adventure, so you don't quite regret it, as you pretend to. You go through various portraits and the normally uninterested girl at your side, is surprisingly very energetic, though more in the antiques than the people in the portraits, who want to share their stories, in which she has zero interest.

You were stuck in the portrait world for three whole days, though, with both of you sleeping in the Headmaster's office (or rather, in the portraits hanging in the headmaster office) until the Ministry came and rescued you.

0o0o0o0

You realize, after some time (years) that she never really argues with anyone except you.

"Dom, I just noticed something," you tell her, still deep in thought.

"Yeah?" she asks you, her head still lost in the piles of parchment she is working on.

"You never argue with anyone except me,"

"So?"

"Why?" You ask her, as if it wasn't obvious - but then, she always did ignore the most obvious things, just so she would have pleasure of pissing you off.

"Because it requires too much energy - why bother?" She finally gives you an answer, but not the one you were expecting or even, looking for.

"Why bother with me?"

"Because I need to have my share of fun, don't I?" She looks up and there is a mischievous glint in her eyes, a spark on her face, a smirk on her mouth and you just laugh, because really, there was nothing else to do.

Your best friend was weird.

0o0o0o0

She hates going to Care of Magical Creatures - after the first class itself, Dominique had decided that she would never show up for another Care of Magical Creatures class. Hagrid would ignore it, she would tell you, every time you tried to force her.

You, on the other hand, detested Astronomy. It did not make sense to you, the stars, the moons, the weird patterns in the air yet she dragged you to every astronomy class.

"I don't want to go to the class," you complain, "It's stupid."

"I know," she replies, unaffected.

"So why are you dragging me?" you whine.

"Because I can't afford to get bored alone, can I?" she asks rhetorically, looping her arm around yours while you continue making faces.

0o0o0o0

It's the first Hogsmeade weekend and everyone has basically gone crazy.

"Do you want to go with me, Xal?" Marcia Nott asks you, giggling.

"It's Xalenous," Dominique comments and you snigger.

"No, Nott - not in a million years, when you look like this," you reply back, and she watch as her face turns apple green with fury and embarrassment and she storms away.

There a few more after that, obviously, with you being so good-looking, but they go the same way (nearly).

"So, are we going together?" Dominique asks you, as a matter-of-factly.

"Are you asking me out, Weasley?" you smirk and she throws a cushion at your face.

"You wish, Zabini,"

"No, I don't," you throw the cushion back at her and soon the fight has started again, but you both know you'll end up going to Hogsmeade together (and you do).

0o0o0o0

Dominique - she wasn't a crying sort, really. So it's easy to imagine your surprise and shock, when she floos into your house on the Christmas Eve and broke down in front of you.

Unfortunately, you weren't the comforting sorts either, so all you could do was pat at her back uncomfortably, while she cried.

"What happened?" you asked her, hours later, when she was lying next to you on the bed.

"I know I pretend I don't care but I hate the way my family looks at me - like a traitor. James, Lily - they all used to look up to me, more than Victoire, but now, James barely speaks to me. Uncle Ron, he thinks I'm a disappointment. Even grand mum, she doesn't bestow the same amount of love on me as she does on others. These family gatherings are a nightmare and it's so difficult to get through them,"

You lean over and hug her and in spite of her weak-willed condition, she pushes you away.

"I hate hugs," she complains, like a baby, and you can see the lines of a laughter on her face.

You pull her in a bear-hug and she yells, "Xalenous!" and laughs as you refuse to let her go.

0o0o0o0

"Lynn is dating Wood," Alrich Higgs whispers in her ear, hushing.

She turns to look at Alrich, raising her eyebrow, "So?"

"So she is such a traitor," Alrich continues and soon their conversation is drawing attention, as

Kayla Warrington looks up and Marcia Nott joins them.

"So?" Dominique's indifference continues and you can already see her nostrils flaring, her lips twitching and you know Alrich has no idea what's going to come at her. You feel like laughing, already, but you hold yourself still, waiting for the right moment.

"So we're supposed to give her a hard time now!" Alrich's voice rises, in irritation, as she fails to get the reaction she was expecting.

"Don't you already give everyone a hard time, Higgs, with your non-stop chatter?" Dominique smirks and soon the whole Common Room is laughing.

Alrich, however, is scowling, her face red with fury and embarrassment.

0o0o0o0

That started the war, really, between Alrich and Dominique.

"Do you know Weasley is a werewolf?" Alrich asks Marcia, loudly, as everyone on the breakfast table turns around to look at her.

"Which Weasley?" Neil asks, jokingly and you laugh.

"Good one, man," you pat him on the back and Dominique sniggers.

"Dominique, of course. She inherited it from her father, you know," Alrich says, as a matter-of-factly.

You turn around to look at Dominique, not knowing exactly how will she react. You wait, but she continues to eat her cereal, not even bothering to look up as the whole table stares at her.

"How did you know, Alrich? Bite you too, didn't he? No wonder you look so ugly!" you spit instead, on your best friend's behalf, venom on your tongue and that breaks the awful silence at the table. Dominique laughs and soon, the tension in the air seems to fade away.

0o0o0o0

It's weird, you two are exceptionally close, really - but you never spoke to each other about dating, at all.

Or kissing, for that matter.

So naturally, you're surprised (shocked) when you catch her making out with Neil O Conner, your Quidditch mate. You don't react, of course, slamming the broom cupboard shut behind them, but you're, for a lack of better word, surprised.

She catches you making out with Kayla Warrington the very next day.

0o0o0o0

It doesn't change your relationship with her, at all, as some people expected, wanted.

You're sitting on the sofa, with your back to Kayla, when she enters the Common Room.

"Warrington, really?" She asks, smirking and you catch the hint of laughter in her glittering eyes.

"It's just snogging, Weasley, don't get too upset over it. You still have a chance, you know," You flirt lightly, mischievously and she laughs out loud, "Hahaahahah! You wish, Zabini!"

And the playful banter continues.

0o0o0o0

She isn't dating Neil either, you later discover, as Neil moons over the bottle of firewhiskey.

"What happened, mate?" you ask him, as he continues to drink. There is a match, in roughly four hours and you know you should stop him, but you can't be bothered, honestly.

"I caught her making out with Trevor," he says, as he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. You look away, disgusted but your interested is piqued, as you ask casually, "Who?"

"Dom,"

You aren't surprised, not really, because you knew she was the only girl Neil was dating but you're still curious.

"She told me she isn't dating me and I should mind my own business," he continues and you feel like laughing, already but you hold yourself. You could totally imagine her saying that, hands on hips, hair flying and lips twitching.

"She isn't?" you know Neil was her first kiss and weren't girls possessive about their first kiss, anyways? Kayla had been at your heels for weeks, until you finally had to curse her away.

"Nops. She says it was just a bit of fun but she can't imagine having a boyfriend. It's too much hard work, apparently,"

You finally burst out laughing, loudly as Neil scowls in your direction.

0o0o0o0

She doesn't date anyone, actually, surprisingly.

She just sleeps around, a little and snogs around, a lot.

You do the same, nearly and the earth is in perfect balance, with the universe, for some time.

0o0o0o0

"Teddy Lupin likes you," you tell her, scowling as you catch the blue-haired disaster staring at her again.

"So?" She looks up, titling her face towards you, eyebrows raised, lips smirking.

"So, you like him too, don't you?" you look almost menacing now, as you growl in her direction, knowing the answer already.

You have seen the way she looks at him, flirting slightly, lightly.

You have seen the way she mops about him, crying slowly, rarely.

"Maybe," she says, her lips curved in a smile and suddenly, you know all is not what it seems.

And you hate it.

0o0o0o0

You catch her making out with him, two days later and for the first time, you don't ignore it.

You don't slam the door shut behind her.

You don't walk away without uttering a single word.

Instead, you stare, until she finally breaks the kiss and looks in your direction, her glance questioning.

"I'm done with you, Weasley," you spit out, venom on your tongue, your eyes covered with an aching hardness.

She stares back at you, trying to open her mouth to say something but no words come out.

"Save it," you snarl, before turning around and walking away.

0o0o0o0

She follows your around for hours, days, weeks but you don't give her a second of your day.

"Xale-" she tries, once, twice, thrice but you turn around and snog the first girl you can find.

(Or boy.)

"Listen -" she tries, again but you shout for Neil and fly away on your broomstick.

Finally, after hours, days, weeks, she finally figures out a way.

And surprises you, yet again.

0o0o0o0

She is flying high on the borrowed broomstick, her red hair flying behind her as she tails after you, unsuccessfully.

(You're far too fast for her.)

"Xalenous! Wait!" she yells out, as she tries to steady her broom.

"I thought you hated flying," you shout back, your voice losing its sharpness as the wind carries your words to her.

"I do, you asshole! Can you please slow down and listen to me, for gods sake?"

"Why should I? You have Lupin now," you bite back, yet you slow down, somewhat.

You know she is a miserable flier and it's miracle she's still on that broom, really.

"And you care because?"

"Because unlike you, Dominique, I have a heart!" you scream back, flying in her direction now, "A heart that loves you and beats for you and Merlin's Beard, you have made me a romantic hero!" You're close to her, close enough to see the smile on her face, the twinkle in her eyes and you have no idea how you managed to survive without her for so long. You're panting, by the time you reach her, and you realize, she's panting too.

"I know," she says and you think you see some a little water on her eyes, running down her cheeks but you can't be sure, "I love you too, you idiot! I love you too!" She replies back, tears streaming down her face as she throws her arms around your neck, "I missed you so much. It was always you, Xalenous, always. I just didn't know how to deal with my feelings, very well. You know I'm bad with emotions and feelings and stuff like that, right?"

She rants and blabbers and you can feel your heart thumping against your chest heavily as you exhale a loud breath you didn't even realize you were holding.

"Shut up, Weasley and kiss me," you tell her, laughing, smiling, crying and she laughs back, "You wish, Zabini!"


End file.
